Six Years Later
by ayrenni
Summary: After six years of separation Arthur's lover is not the same he was when Arthur left. Warnings: AU, Slash Arthur x Lancelot Please read and review! Tell me if I should continue! Third chapter is up now!
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**Ok, first of all, this is an AU-fic and a slash fiction. So if you don't like that, don't read it.

Ok, the story takes place in our modern world, so there are no knights, no round table, no Romans or Samartians. Arthur and Lancelot are just ordinary people.

Please tell me if the Prologue is any good and if the story is worth to be continued.

**Characters**: Arthur/Lancelot (slash), Guinever

**Disclaimer:**I don't own anything of the King Arthur universe. Everything you don't recognize belongs to me

**Warnings**: Slash, AU

**Summary**: After six years Arthur comes back for his lover and he is in for a shocking surprise.

* * *

**Prologue**

He threw one last look back at him.

He looked lost to Arthur as he stood there all alone on the sidewalk. Their gazes locked for one last time through the rear window of the car. Green and brown eyes met.

"I promise", Arthur repeated once again. Although he knew that Lance couldn't hear him, he must have understood because he nodded his head. Arthur would return. They would be together again, he had promised to Lance.

Once the car had passed around a corner Arthur lost sight of Lancelot

He couldn't help but think back to the time they had met. They had been neighbours their whole life and friends from the first day they met although Lance was 2 years younger than Arthur. They had become close very fast and were best friends ever since.

It had always been Arthur whom Lance told about his fathers problems with alcohol and it had always been Lancelot whom Arthur told about the arguments his parents regularly had.

And together they both protected Lance's younger sister Guinevere from older bullies.

They had shared and discovered everything together. And one day they even shared their first kiss. They discovered their feelings for each other and at the same time realized that they had to keep their relationship a secret. Their families wouldn't accept such a thing.

That had been one year ago when Arthur was 15 and Lancelot 13. Only Guin knew. But then again, Arthur guessed, it was hard to hide anything at all from Guinevere once her curiosity was awakened.

"You'll find another friend", his mother said and interrupted his thoughts. He wasn't really sure if he really heard the tone of satisfaction in her voice or if he only imagined it. He couldn't help but wonder if the two of them maybe hadn't been as successful in hiding their romantic relationship as they had thought.

Why else should they suddenly move as far away as to Los Angeles?? Only for a job offer his dad had gotten that wasn't even extraordinarily great??? Would his parents really move to the other side of the continent for only 1000$ more income a month? He couldn't really believe that.

But it wasn't important now. He hadn't gotten a say in the matter and he hadn't come of age yet.

He decided that it was useless to consider theories that he could no way prove.

It was all not important now. He would come back. Back to him.

* * *

So please tell me if it's worth to be continued and write me a review !!!!!!


	2. Home again?

**Author's Note: **So here is the next chapter of my story, please read and review!!!!

And by the way I made up last names for Lancelot (Stainsfield) and Arthur (Longdale) to make it more realistic. And please forgive me if I get something wrong about New York or anything else, but I have no real idea what New York really is like, because I am from Germany. So please forgive me for my ignorance.

**Characters:** Arthur/Lancelot (slash), Guinevere, OCs

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything that you recognize, the rest belongs to ME!!!!!!

**Summary:** Arthur's going on a journey to the place where he spent his childhood.

**Read and review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

* * *

**Home again?**

He tuned off the radio. The nearer Arthur got to his destination the more nervous and insecure he got and the continuously cheerful music coming out of the car radio didn't help or distract him one bit. The whole flight he had been able to block out the questions in his mind that he had been afraid of for six years. But now it was impossible for him to forget about them. Denial only went that far.

He couldn't help but think back to the time with Lance. The times they had shared with Guin and the time the two of them had spent all alone, forgetting the whole world around them. And once again Arthur could only wonder what had happened after he had moved away.

He had tried to phone Lance as soon as he could but he never got him on line. The five or six times he had tried Guinevere had told Arthur to fuck off, usually in nicer words. Only the last time she had really said it literally. He had tried with writing e-mails but Lancelot didn't answer and then he even changed his e-mail account. As a last resort he had even tried to write a traditional letter, but he had never gotten an answer.

Arthur hadn't understood it then and he didn't get it today either. Everything had been going great in their relationship. They had even already made plans for college. And suddenly all kinds of contact broke off. Arthur had been heartbroken. How could his lover and best friend forget about him that fast??? Had he found someone else??? Was he that easily replaced???

Then he had gotten angry. Angry at Lance for apparently forgetting and replacing him, angry at himself for not being able to do anything at all against it and angry at his parents for destroying his life and moving away. The anger somehow had become less over the years. Arthur had had a whole lot of girlfriends over time; he had made his parents proud, had played football and had been one of the best graduates.

He had been the perfect little son but all the time a memory lurked at the corners of his mind and he couldn't help but wish for the blue eyes of his blonde girlfriend to be a deep chocolate brown. He wanted her hair to be shorter and dark and curly. He couldn't help but desire hard angles and strong muscles instead of soft curves, and an arrogant, cocky smirk instead of the shy smile almost every girl shot his way.

And one day ago the longing had just become too strong. He had no idea why Lance should suddenly want to talk to him or what it would change if he talked to him face to face after such a long time. He knew that his hope that everything had been a stupid misunderstanding and Lancelot and he would get back to what they had been was naïve and unrealistic. But he was just as sure that he would regret it his whole life if he wouldn't go and see him now.

So he had booked a flight for today morning. He was fortunate that it was semester break at the moment because he wouldn't have been able to go otherwise. He was studying to be a lawyer and that was hard work, although his father had made a great reputation in L.A., also as lawyer. His parents hadn't been really happy to hear he was heading back to his former home but because he called them from the airport in New York they hadn't really been able to keep him from going.

Then he had rented a car and now he was on his way to his old neighbourhood. The whole area was amazingly unchanged and Arthur felt like travelling back into his past. Almost nothing had changed. The same trees stood in front of the same houses, the same benches and fences became visible as Arthur drove on by.

The nearer he got the more his anxiety grew. He turned into the street he used to live in; he drove along the sidewalk he had been walking on every day for 14 years, since he had attended kindergarten and later school. Here the memories of Lance were the strongest. Everywhere he looked he could see scenes of his childhood; there was almost no place he didn't associate with his early love.

Now he could see his home, no his former home, Arthur corrected in his mind. Even that hadn't changed that much. There stood another car in front of the passageway, and in the garden grew some flowers. The garden didn't look as perfect as it used to when they had lived there, but that was only because his parents had engaged a gardener. These flowers seemed to be arranged and looked after with love. His mother had never had the patience for working in the garden and with her job as lawyer she had been a lot too busy anyway.

He drove by the Sullivan Street number 12 and slowed the car down. He was almost there. He parked his car along the sidewalk and got out. For some seconds he only watched the house in front of him, the place where he had lived since his birth; then he turned around and walked on to the neighbouring property. Now all nervousness had left him. It felt like the most normal thing in the world to walk up the passageway of house number 14 the way he had already done a thousand times before. He didn't spare any look at the garden or anything else. His eyes were fixed on the door. His mind was occupied with thinking about what to say once he would be facing him.

As he stood directly in front of the door, he rang the doorbell and waited for it to be opened. He didn't know if he should be afraid of what would happen next or not. But it didn't matter now. In no time he would see him again.

Arthur heard footsteps and the door was opened. And suddenly all the words he had wanted to say, left his mind. He was utterly speechless. The woman that had opened the door could only be described as BIG. She was almost as tall as Arthur, but her huge body filled the door frame almost completely. Arthur didn't know what to say. Was that Mrs. Stainsfield, Guin's and Lancelot's mother???

At once Arthur realized that he had been staring at the woman for almost a minute now. He began to blush because of his impolite behaviour and began to stammer:

"I am sorry … errr….Mrs. Stainsfield?" he asked in a voice that would have been more suitable for a small boy than for an adult that was going to be a lawyer soon.

The woman watched him with a blank look. Then she began to yell at him: "Are you not able to read, or are you just plain stupid??" She pointed at the name plate underneath the button for the doorbell. "My name is Robins. Not whatever you've said. Who the hell are you??? Are you trying to distract me and your little filthy friends are trying to get into my house and rob me??? Or even rape me?? Are you one of these damned criminals??? But that trick won't work with me. I am not stupid. You're really lucky my husband isn't home."

"No, I am sorry I am looking for the previous tenants…", Arthur tried to interrupt but he didn't get to finish his sentence. The door was shut with force and Arthur unconsciously made a step back. Now he realized that he had been that focused on what he was going to say that he had neither noticed the new name tag, nor the car that stood in the garage. Although Lance's family hadn't been poor they had never possessed a Lexus. Arthur could hardly believe his stupidity. He had closely observed every garden and house he had passed on his way here to see if anything had changed. And then he overlooked something as obvious as a name tag.

He shook his head and turned around to walk back to his car. Now he would have to search for Lance and he had absolutely no idea, where the Stainsfields had moved.

Only now he noticed the man that leaned against the fence that separated Arthur's former house and the former property of Lancelot's family. The man seemed to have noticed the whole embarrassing scene with the bulky lady, which was not amazing, because of the volume of her voice.

Arthur observed the man closely. He was about 50 years old, Arthur guessed because of his grey hair. And he obviously was the one that had bought the house after he and his family had moved away. He had no idea if he had any prospect of success but he decided that it was worth a try to ask, if he knew anything about Lance's new home. So he approached the man that watched him silently with a small, nice smile on his face. Once Arthur was near to him the man began to speak before Arthur even had the chance to ask him anything at all:

"So, you are looking for the Stainsfields???" he asked curiously. Arthur only nodded. Then he said: "Yes the son of the family Lance and I, we used to be … ah friends. Till I moved away six years ago, I lived in the house that now apparently belongs to you." The old man nodded understandingly. "And you just made acquaintance of my lovely neighbour Mrs. Robinson", he responded, still smiling. Arthur couldn't help but begin to laugh, too.

"So how come you are searching for your friend now …. Errr, sorry but what's your name??", the man asked. Arthur felt embarrassed once again. It seemed that since he had come to New York City he had completely forgotten about his great manners his mother had been so proud of. "I am sorry. My name is Arthur Langdale. And you are???" he asked.

"I am David for you. So tell me, why now??" the man responded. Arthur took some time to think about what and how much he should tell him. Then he answered: "Well we have some … err… I think you could call it unfinished business. So do you know where they live now?" He didn't want to dwell on the subject because he himself wasn't even sure what he really hoped to find or win by meeting Lancelot again.

David looked at him with his extremely blue eyes. Then he slowly nodded and said: "I don't know exactly. After this terrible accident, the family seemed…" but he got interrupted by Arthur. "What accident? What the hell happened?"

"You don't know?" David asked with surprise written all over his face Arthur shook his head and he suddenly dreaded the words that he would hear next. "Yeah, well, Mrs. Stainsfield, she, well she had a car accident and she was severely injured. And she never really recovered. She was paralyzed from the neck down I think and she had a head injury she never really got over. In any case, Mrs. Stainsfield had to give up her job and the family was forced to move out because of financial reasons."

Arthur could only stare. He couldn't believe it. He had expected almost anything but never this. He couldn't imagine the kind and sociable woman that had been almost a second mother to him bound to a wheelchair or even completely unable to move. She had always been so lively and full of energy. Besides she was the most creative woman he could think of. She was a great artist and she had earned quite a lot by painting. The consequences this must have had on the whole family, he just couldn't comprehend. How had Guinevere and Lancelot been able to cope? He couldn't imagine what it must have been like for them.

"When did this happen?" he asked. "Well, it must have been almost six years ago, not long after I bought the house", David responded to Arthur's question. "So do you know where they have moved?" Arthur asked instantly after his last question had been answered. He now was almost desperate to see Lancelot again.

The other shrugged apologetically. "I don't know exactly. But I know for sure that they stayed here in New York. If I remember correctly, it was one of the poorer boroughs, but I can't tell you the name. It was more than five years ago, after all. Yes, what a tragic accident that was!" He added once more.

David's answer discouraged Arthur even farther. But he knew he would find a way to see Lance again. He would at least try to talk to him; he wouldn't give up now that he was that far.

After thanking David for his help Arthur finally went to his car. He drove off, away from the area where he had spent his childhood, where he had met Lancelot for the first and seen him for the last time, six years ago.

He couldn't help but relive his conversation with David while driving. The news he had gotten had been a shock for him and his planned meeting with Lancelot turned out to be a lot more difficult to arrange than he had thought at first. But he had never been one to give up. Still, for today he had had enough disturbing news. So he checked in a hotel that wasn't overly expensive but clean and tidy.

With a sigh Arthur fell onto his bed, once he was in his room. The flight had been exhausting and he only wanted to sleep now. He undressed, only leaving on his boxer shorts and slid in underneath the blanket.

But although he was tired as he had seldom been before, Arthur couldn't sleep. He had no idea how to find Lance. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack, Arthur thought. And then he knew. He would use the phone book and call every family Stainsfield that he could find in whole New York City. Somewhere he would find him, and if he had to search the whole city on his own.

Now that he had a plan, Arthur was at last able to go to sleep. Tomorrow he would be successful. Hopefully.

* * *

Please tell me what you think about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	3. The End of the Search?

Autor's Note: I am not really sure where this story is going with me, but we will see, so please read and review!!

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything of King Arthur.

Summary: Arthur finds out where Lancelot is living now.

Please read and review!

* * *

**The End of the Search?**

**The next day: **

Arthur was FRUSTRATED. And that was the understatement of the year. He was at a loss. He was absolutely out of ideas. How was he supposed to find Lancelot in a city where more than 8 million of people lived? It was almost impossible and slowly Arthur realized how stupid he had been to think that he could just walk back into Lance's life, without complications, and restart their relationship again.

The whole day he had been talking to people, whose telephone numbers he had found in the Internet under the last name Stainsfield in New York. There hadn't been all that many people with that last name, but the few people he had called hadn't had an idea whom he was talking about once he mentioned the name Lancelot.

Some of them thought he was crazy and just hung up on him. Others told him they were really sorry that they couldn't help him and wished him luck for his further search. And some were yelling at him angrily for disturbing them like that especially the last ones he had called. Well, Arthur could almost understand that not every person appreciated getting a call at almost 11 o'clock on a Monday evening. But Arthur just couldn't bring himself to care.

He hadn't been sleeping well for almost a week, he couldn't forget about Lance and the former even creeped in his dreams, although Arthur didn't even know what Lancelot looked like after six years. But he was sure he still looked as beautiful as he used to. An angel couldn't become ugly.

After his last attempt at calling someone with the last name Stainsfield who was rather pissed at having to get up to such an ungodly hour only for telling some freak to go fuck himself, had turned out to be to no avail Arthur had decided to change tactics. His new plan was to call all the people that he and Lancelot used to know or be friends with. But all his former friends told him something similar to the information he had already gotten from David.

They all told him about Mrs. Stainsfield's accident and about the fact that Lancelot, Guinevere and his parents had moved somewhere else, but none of them knew where their new apartment was. Lancelot had obviously also changed school because no one of their former classmates had an idea where he could be found either.

Arthur didn't know what to do now and he couldn't help but think about what had happened to Lance and his family to vanish as completely out of their former life as it obviously was the case. The thoughts about Mrs. Stainsfield returned as well. Marie DuLac used to be her name before she married Robert Stainsfield. She was French, which also was the reason for the strange names of her children, and she had come to America to try her luck as artist. And she had had quite a lot of success here, too. And now she was obviously not even able to walk on her own any more.

DuLac, yes that used to be her name. And suddenly an idea sparked in the young man's mind. What if that was the name he was looking for? After all he had no idea what else had happened during the 6 years he had been away from home. And what did he really have to lose? It was definitely worth a try. So he typed in the last name DuLac and began the search on his laptop.

Once the search was done only one address whose inhabitants had the name DuLac was shown on the screen. Beside the address there also stood the telephone number. So Arthur hurriedly dialled the number and listened impatiently to the dial tone. After sitting there for almost 3 minutes of silent listening to the continuous beep that sounded in his ears, Arthur heard that the telephone was answered.

Arthur was just about to say something when he suddenly heard a female voice that told him:

"Hello, here is the answering machine of Guinevere and Lancel…" suddenly you could hear another persons voice in the background, although Arthur couldn't understand what was said. Then the voice that had begun the announcement whispered "No, I'm gonna say your full name Lance, and I won't mention you first, even if you pay for the apartment, and now let me go on!!!" Arthur couldn't help but grin. Lancelot had never liked being called Lancelot and Guin just loved to mock him with that.

Suddenly Arthur realized something. He had found them, even more importantly, he had found HIM. Arthur unbelievingly listened on. His search had been successful. Then his thoughts were interrupted by the voice on the phone.

"So, this is as I said before, the phone of Guinevere and Lancelot DuLac. If you have something important to say, please say it after the beep. Bye!"

At once the beep resounded and Arthur was at a loss of words. He had been that engrossed in his search that he now had absolutely no idea what to speak on the tape; now that he had found the person he was looking for, what was he even supposed to say, after years without any kind of contact?

Arthur began to panic and hung up. He took a deep breath and considered which steps he should take now. He had the choice between two different options. For one he could call once again, speak something on the answering machine and tell Lancelot that he was back in town and that he wanted to meet him.

Or he could write down the address, search Lance's new home, get into his car, and talk to him here and now. Arthur never was one for the indirect subtle way. He preferred to take care of the things in person and directly. So Arthur got up, wrote down the address and searched for it on the city map. After he had found it, Arthur put on his jacket, took the sheet with the address, grabbed his keys and got out of the hotel room.

Almost 45 minutes later Arthur arrived at the address. Arthur found a parking place and took a good look around. This was absolutely one of the worse parts of towns. On both sides of the street he saw huge multi-story buildings that already were a little rundown. Well Arthur was sure that there were worse parts of the town, too, but this place here could hardly be compared to the houses he had been living in for his whole life.

Now that it got serious Arthur suddenly began to doubt his intention. After all it was already almost midnight. What would it look now when he turned up at such a time? But he had never done anything only by half and he surely wouldn't start now. So Arthur got out and entered the building with the house number 28.

He went up the stairs and passed the first level. He was looking for house number 28, level 3, apartment C. So Arthur went on and on and on till he arrived at the third floor. There he first of all walked past the door with letter A, then the door which said B. And suddenly he stood in front of the right address. Arthur checked it once again. House number 28, level 3 A. Yes he was right here. At least the address was correct.

But Arthur had no idea what was going to happen now that he was at the end of his search, now that he would see his former lover once again. And the longer the young man stood in front of the door, that obviously separated him from Lancelot the more nervous and insecure he got. What would Lance's reaction be? Would he welcome him back? Would he tell him to get lost, that he didn't want to have any contact with him anymore? What would he, Arthur, do then?

But suddenly Arthur couldn't stand the insecurity anymore and he just couldn't wait to see Lancelot, his former lover, again. Arthur tried to compose himself. He thought about what he would tell Lancelot once he opened the door. He already had something to say in his mind and so he rang the doorbell.

Now he could not turn back anymore. He had to face what would happen now once the door got opened. Arthur had to wait an unusually long time till the door was opened. And once this happened, Arthur had forgotten all the words that he had carefully chosen to say already the second time on that day, as the door was opened by one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen.

She wore short pyjama bottoms and a short sleeved-shirt so it became obvious that Arthur had made her get out of bed. Her long brown hair also looked tousled and her eyes still were heavy-lidded. But still she looked gorgeous and around 18 years old.

Arthur didn't know what to say??? Was that the wrong apartment? Or, what would have been worse, was that Lance's girlfriend???

He just kept on staring at the girl, and she just stared right back.

Then she chimed in: "Arthur???" she asked in a small and a little insecure voice.

Arthur was even more confused by that. Where did she know his name from? Had the two of them ever met or had Lancelot told her anything about him? Had she seen the photos of the two of them and did she recognize him now?

Suddenly Arthur got aware of the fact that he hadn't answered yet and that he was staring at the girl with almost hostile eyes. Then he answered:

"Yes, that's me… and you …?" and suddenly it dawned on him.

That gorgeous and absolutely beautiful girl in front of him was not Lancelot's girlfriend. Here in front of him stood Guinevere, the little girl he used to protect from bullies that were laughing about her brace and making fun about her skinniness.

Arthur had completely forgotten that Guinevere had to be now already 17 years old, more a young woman than a child. He had never expected to find such a pretty young lady instead of the small, skinny kid that he had seen for the last time six years ago.

He spoke up: "Guin?" he asked, now just as insecure as Guinevere had done before.

The girl only nodded with an indefinable and not really friendly look on her face.

Tbc…

* * *

So I hope you liked it. And if you did or didn't please tell me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


End file.
